Giovanni Battista Guarini

Giovanni Battista Guarini (born in 1538 with Ferrare, Italy - died the October 7th 1612 with Venice) was a poet and diplomatic Italian end of the XVI {{E}} and beginning of the 17th century.

Biography

Giovanni Battista Guarini was downward of Guarino Veronese, a Humaniste which ensured the prosperity of the family the 15th century with Ferrare.

The young person Giovanni Battista made his studies with Pisa and Padoue, from where it was called, whereas it was not yet twenty years old, to teach the moral philosophy in the schools of his birthplace. Its first literary steps, with Padoue and Ferrare, were impressed of a certain academism, to its entry, in 1567, at the court of Alphonse II of Este, last duke of Ferrare. Although it cultivated poetry like pastime, Guarini sought a stable job and what it regarded as a serious business for its life was obtaining an use of State. At the court of the duke, it started a career of court which was for him, during thirty years, a permanent source of disappointments.

Guarini occupied a post of diplomat there, in particular during unfruitful negotiations carried out in 1574 - 1575 to try to ensure the duke the crown of Poland. He worked primarily with the service of the duke of Ferrare - except on rare occasions where he carried out missions for the dukes of Savoy and of Mantoue - until the death of Alphonse II, in 1597, which saw the return of the duchy in the papal possessions. Giovanni Battista Guarini then attended the courses of the large-duke of Tuscany and the duke of Urbino.

Its family life was marked by the murder of his/her Anna daughter, assassinated by her husband, Ercole Trotti, with the complicity of his/her brothers. Following this murder, the career of Guarini was disturbed by the ceaseless quarrels and lawsuits.

Work

The most famous work of Giovanni Battista Guarini is pastoral in form of Tragi-comédie, “ It Pastor fido ” (the faithful Shepherd), which was made up between 1580 and 1583 to compete with the Aminta (1573) of his/her friend Torquato Tasso (1544 - 1595). Published fine 1589, dedicated to Charles-Emmanuel Ier of Savoy, it was often represented at the time, translated and diffused in all Europe, and was an immense success. Whereas the work of Guarini can be seen like feeling lack, in particular if one compares it with that of his predecessor at the court of Este, Torquato Tasso, it seems that it is precisely this quality which made it redécouvrir at the 18th century - at one moment when the excessive sentimentality had become obsolete - by type-setters who were inspired some. Haendel drew from it - on a booklet adapted by the poet Giacomo Rossi - an opera ( It Pastor fido ) (1712), which he altered in 1734. Jean-Philippe Rameau was also inspired some for a Cantate, the faithful Shepherd (1728).

To illustrate the notoriety of the tragedy formerly, one can quote the case of the Château of Ancy-the-Franc in the Yonne whose living room is decorated with several paintings illustrating the drama.

Moreover, as of its time, the poetry of Giovanni Battista Guarini was put in music, in particular by the Italian compositrice Vittoria Aleotti (v. 1575 - v. 1620), which took as a starting point its madrigaux, which testifies to the various styles of the 16th century.

Among his other works, one can quote:

“ the Rhymes ”, collection of lyric poems;
“ Idropica ” (Hydropique) (1584), a comedy more lyric than dramatic;
“ It Secretario ”;
Various tests on the theater of which the Treated tragi-comic poetry (1601), where he criticizes the rules of the theater inherited Aristote;
“ It Trattato beyond politica liberta ”, a treaty of policy to the glory of the Médicis to Florence.

The 5 and December 6th 2003, the Université of Padoue organized a conference on the work of Giovanni Battista Guarini, and in particular on its letters and the Rhymes .

External bonds

See the program of the conference of the University of Padoue “'' Rime E Lettere di Battista Guarini ''”

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